Operation EMS: Dajabon

Spring 2015 Mission Update

The Spring 2015 mission was an important one for the Waves of Health program Operation EMS: Dajabon. We continued to train local EMS providers and conducted joint patient care with them. This is an effort that began in April 2012 and will continue for many more missions. Some of the Waves volunteers on this mission included 11 highly trained and experienced EMT’s, Paramedics, and nurses who shared their expertise, not only in triage and patient care in the clinic, but also in training our local partners to help build an EMS system in Dajabon. Waves EMS continued training approximately 15 volunteers from the Dominican Red Cross on patient trauma assessment and prioritization, spinal stabilization, splinting, hemorrhage control, patient extraction, patient carrying and movement, high and rough terrain rescue techniques, vital sign monitoring, and much more.

We continued mentoring the local leadership in building an EMS system, enhancing EMS capacity, and sustainable operations. Thanks to the generosity of organizational and individual donations, we were also able to provide desperately needed EMS supplies and equipment that will be used every day. It was hugely satisfying to see the level of interest and uptake for the EMS trainees and to watch them utilize new equipment and exercise their newly learned First Responder skills.

We had a watershed moment this trip in that, together with our DR Red Cross partners, we conducted our first attended transport and saved a cardiac patient’s life. This is not the first immediately life-saving intervention we’ve had in our clinics, but this is the first real demonstration that we’ve been able to implement EMS.

AS WE WERE SETTING UP CLINIC IN A SMALL VILLAGE, A 93 YEAR OLD MAN PRESENTED WITH A COMPLAINT OF CHEST PAIN AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH. WE ACTIVATED OUR EMERGENT CARE PROTOCOL AND THE DOCTORS AND PARAMEDICS WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY ASSESS AND EVALUATE THE PATIENT. WITHIN MOMENTS, WE KNEW THIS ABUELO, OUR PATIENT, NEEDED TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL FAST BECAUSE HE WAS SHOWING LATE SIGNS OF CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE. HE WAS STABILIZED AND WE WERE ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY TRANSPORT HIM WITH THE RED CROSS AMBULANCE. OUR PATIENT WAS MONITORED UNTIL HE REACHED THE HOSPITAL AND A PROPER REPORT AND PATIENT TRANSFER TO THE HOSPITAL STAFF WERE EXECUTED. IN THE END, THE EMS SKILLS THAT WE TRAINED AND THE SYSTEM WE ARE HELPING TO BUILD PROVIDE GOOD CARE, REFLECTED THE STANDARDS OF CARE WE ENJOY AT HOME, AND SAVED ANOTHER LIFE. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE EVEN A YEAR AGO – WE ARE SUCCESSFULLY HELPING TO BUILD AN EMS SYSTEM IN DAJABON!

What do we do?

GOAL:

The goal of Waves of HealthOperation EMS: Dajabon is to help build a robust, sustainable EMS system in Dajabon that is capable of saving lives.

MISSION:

The mission of Waves of HealthOperation EMS: Dajabon is to help build an EMS system in Dajabon by: creating a collaborative local environment favorable to the effort, mentoring local leaders, providing expert EMS training to local partners and providers, and providing critical supplies and equipment to Dajabon FirstResponders.

EMS Philosophy

The Waves’ philosophy about humanitarian medical missions reflects our core belief that a sustainable approach is necessary to ensure management and control of health and medical conditions. To that end, we combine an integrated approach to involve the community and educate not just our patients, but local clinicians and nearby community members as well.